Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have carved a wide path of destruction across the southeast, plunging millions of families into darkness and claiming hundreds of lives. Daily routines have been upended and many face the daunting reality of having to start over with nothing but the proceeds of insurance – if they even had it.

As of Thursday morning, over 50,000 linemen have been reportedly deployed to the state, a massive recovery effort that will take months, if not years, to fully complete.

Steve Trainor is one of those linemen. Based on Long Island, he’s married to Donna, a lifelong childhood friend of mine. Over the years, I’ve been following Steve’s selfless and sacrificial service. If there’s a widespread power outrage along the eastern seaboard, he seems to be part of the recovery effort.

Donna recently posted this message on Facebook:

Steve and his crew, including his brother and nephew, are on the NC/SC border getting power restored. I’m so proud of the work they do! He’s so happy when they get people’s lights turned on, but a lot of work left to do.

Their crew is now in Florida, ready to help bring more than three million Sunshine State residents back on the grid after Hurricane Milton’s overnight thrashing.

Steve and Donna have five children, several grade school age. Their dad is called away a lot, especially when the storms hit.

Workers like Steve from all over the country are flooding into the state. They’re finding shelter wherever they can arrange it. They then proceed to work extremely long hours, and often in dangerous and grueling conditions.

Once upon a time Steve Trainor went to law school, passed the bar exam, but felt a calling to this difficult but important work.

Recovery is hard on the survivors – and those doing the recovering. But for many, there is a joy to it.

The back-to-back storms have strained rescuers and resources, but have also triggered an enormous response from private citizens eager to be part of the solution. From pilots to the “Cajun Navy” – volunteers who work on their own time to save lives – the heartbreaking tragedies have awakened a tremendous American spirit.

“Look for the helpers,” Nancy McFeely Rogers used to tell her son, future children’s television legend, Fred Rogers. “You will always find people who are helping.”

Steve enjoys a strong Christian faith, is active in his home church, and embodies and models Solomon’s charge: Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act” (Proverbs 3:27).

No pun intended with the reference to “power” – though Steve and many of the 50,000 other linemen currently working in Florida are emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit as they work tirelessly day and night.

Parents would be wise to point to the rescue efforts in the south as a shining example of how to serve and sacrifice. Children need to see examples of real-life heroes who put themselves out for the good of others.

We thank God for Steve and all those serving in the south – and urge Americans to pray for their safety and success, as well as all those displaced and uncertain regarding what is coming next.

Original image from Shutterstock.